Swirl marks & Drying

agarbati · 06-21-2005, 04:05 PM

How do you guys

1) Get rid of fine swirl marks?

2). Dry your car after washing? Anybody use the California blade (silicon/rubber I believe)?

F32Fleet · 06-21-2005, 04:18 PM

See Detailing Forum of Roadfly.org. More info than you can shake a stick at.

#2 I use an absorber and "pat dry" the car. Some people use large microfiber towels, leaf blowers etc etc.

bookman2 · 06-21-2005, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agarbati

How do you guys

1) Get rid of fine swirl marks?

2). Dry your car after washing? Anybody use the California blade (silicon/rubber I believe)?

The blade is a very good device for quick water removal on large surface areas, however, a good chamois is still necessary for the nooks and crannys.

redterp · 06-22-2005, 09:10 AM

chamois works well for me.

YYdoodle · 06-22-2005, 11:52 AM

Blade is good but just make sure the blade and the car is clean or else you're gonna scratch up the car like crazy. Also try something called the "Absorber" it's this large synthetic towel that absorbs water very well and then you can just twist dry it and keep using it over and over... great for drying your car off after washing and you don't even have to wipe it all over the car, just lay it down flat on a section of the car at a time and it'll soak up the water underneath.

CC 330i · 06-22-2005, 02:27 PM

I like to use a chamois, followed by a very clean microfiber towel to get all the drips and nooks and crannies that this car seems to have! It's amazing all the places that water comes dripping out of in this car!

A good quality, clean chamois is really the best way to get the car dry. There are people that say a chamois leaves streaks, but those people don't know how to use a chamois. You have to wring it out often.

A good quality carnauba wax after every other washing also helps. If you always have a good quality wax on your car, and don't rub it when it is dirty, you will get minimal swirling.

Here's a couple of pics of my 1997 (9 years old) Jetta I just sold. I took care of it with the above mentioned steps. I didn't even use ZAINO! (GASP!!!) If you think this looks good, you don't even want to see my E90!

OuTLaWs · 06-22-2005, 05:21 PM

What type of carnauba wax did you use after every other wash? The Jetta looks very nice. Do you have pics of your E90?

CC 330i · 06-22-2005, 06:32 PM

Yes, but these were taken on my first full day of ownership and before I had a chance to do my "magic" on the car. This is after the dealer detail which was so-so.

Pay no attention to the blonde in the passenger seat, and don't tell my wife! (just kidding, that's her).

I have washed and waxed the car 3 times since these photos were taken on May 28, and it is finally in a condition that I find acceptable. My wife has our digital camera on a trip right now, so I will post some more recent photos in a day or two.

Oh, and the wax I have been using mostly these days is Meguiar's "Cleaner Wax". It is a paste wax and comes with an applicator. Application is the most important step. You have to rub it in well, and just do a thin coat, and then buff with a very soft clean terry towel. I have also found that if you get a good quality flannel buffing cloth, that helps on the final buff. I use the terry towel to take the bulk of the wax off, and then use the flannel (or a quality microfiber towel) to do a final buff. What I like about the Meguairs is that you can wax the whole car, you don't have to do a little at a time. You can let it dry for 15 or 20 minutes or longer before buffing, unlike some waxes that you are supposed to remove after 5 or 10 minutes.

Plus, it only costs about $6 and lasted me for about 10 wax jobs. A little more cost effective than Zaino, but then maybe it doesn't last as long... The nice thing about cleaner wax is that it takes off any water spotting you might have on the clearcoat. Some other waxes just cover it up. This eliminates the need to do a claybar in some cases, and my feeling is that if you wax regularly, you shouldn't need to claybar. Your paint is always protected. If I go a long time without waxing, though, I have been known to claybar.

You can also get Meguiar's Gold Class if you want to spend $11 but I find that the Cleaner Wax does a good job and lasts pretty well.

06-21-2005, 04:05 PM	#1
agarbati Second Lieutenant 42 Rep 279 Posts Drives: E90, Saph Blk 330i Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Minneapolis iTrader: (0)	Swirl marks & Drying How do you guys 1) Get rid of fine swirl marks? 2). Dry your car after washing? Anybody use the California blade (silicon/rubber I believe)?
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06-22-2005, 09:10 AM	#4
redterp Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: MD iTrader: (0)	chamois works well for me.
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06-22-2005, 11:52 AM	#5
YYdoodle Captain 122 Rep 666 Posts Drives: E92 M3 fanatic Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: MD iTrader: (0)	Blade is good but just make sure the blade and the car is clean or else you're gonna scratch up the car like crazy. Also try something called the "Absorber" it's this large synthetic towel that absorbs water very well and then you can just twist dry it and keep using it over and over... great for drying your car off after washing and you don't even have to wipe it all over the car, just lay it down flat on a section of the car at a time and it'll soak up the water underneath.
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06-22-2005, 02:27 PM	#6
CC 330i Captain 45 Rep 722 Posts Drives: 330i SG/Blk/Alum Join Date: May 2005 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (0)	I like to use a chamois, followed by a very clean microfiber towel to get all the drips and nooks and crannies that this car seems to have! It's amazing all the places that water comes dripping out of in this car! A good quality, clean chamois is really the best way to get the car dry. There are people that say a chamois leaves streaks, but those people don't know how to use a chamois. You have to wring it out often. A good quality carnauba wax after every other washing also helps. If you always have a good quality wax on your car, and don't rub it when it is dirty, you will get minimal swirling. Here's a couple of pics of my 1997 (9 years old) Jetta I just sold. I took care of it with the above mentioned steps. I didn't even use ZAINO! (GASP!!!) If you think this looks good, you don't even want to see my E90! Last edited by CC 330i; 06-22-2005 at 02:35 PM..
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06-22-2005, 05:21 PM	#7
OuTLaWs Enlisted Member 3 Rep 40 Posts Drives: 2008 Alpine White 335i Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Phillips Ranch, CA iTrader: (0)	What type of carnauba wax did you use after every other wash? The Jetta looks very nice. Do you have pics of your E90?
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06-21-2005, 04:18 PM	#2
F32Fleet Lieutenant General 3905 Rep 10,604 Posts Drives: 2015 435i Join Date: May 2005 Location: Southeastern US iTrader: (0)	See Detailing Forum of Roadfly.org. More info than you can shake a stick at. #2 I use an absorber and "pat dry" the car. Some people use large microfiber towels, leaf blowers etc etc.
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06-22-2005, 06:32 PM	#8
CC 330i Captain 45 Rep 722 Posts Drives: 330i SG/Blk/Alum Join Date: May 2005 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (0)	Yes, but these were taken on my first full day of ownership and before I had a chance to do my "magic" on the car. This is after the dealer detail which was so-so. Pay no attention to the blonde in the passenger seat, and don't tell my wife! (just kidding, that's her). I have washed and waxed the car 3 times since these photos were taken on May 28, and it is finally in a condition that I find acceptable. My wife has our digital camera on a trip right now, so I will post some more recent photos in a day or two. Oh, and the wax I have been using mostly these days is Meguiar's "Cleaner Wax". It is a paste wax and comes with an applicator. Application is the most important step. You have to rub it in well, and just do a thin coat, and then buff with a very soft clean terry towel. I have also found that if you get a good quality flannel buffing cloth, that helps on the final buff. I use the terry towel to take the bulk of the wax off, and then use the flannel (or a quality microfiber towel) to do a final buff. What I like about the Meguairs is that you can wax the whole car, you don't have to do a little at a time. You can let it dry for 15 or 20 minutes or longer before buffing, unlike some waxes that you are supposed to remove after 5 or 10 minutes. Plus, it only costs about $6 and lasted me for about 10 wax jobs. A little more cost effective than Zaino, but then maybe it doesn't last as long... The nice thing about cleaner wax is that it takes off any water spotting you might have on the clearcoat. Some other waxes just cover it up. This eliminates the need to do a claybar in some cases, and my feeling is that if you wax regularly, you shouldn't need to claybar. Your paint is always protected. If I go a long time without waxing, though, I have been known to claybar. You can also get Meguiar's Gold Class if you want to spend $11 but I find that the Cleaner Wax does a good job and lasts pretty well. Last edited by CC 330i; 06-22-2005 at 06:51 PM..
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